The Black Forest.
It's more green than black, really, but with scenery like this, who's complaining? Rich fields and sundappled stands of trees dot this thick, hilly woodland in southwestern Germany. You take a deep breath in, then out, relishing the clean, fresh air.
You're so glad you didn't listen to your parents. They thought it was dangerous to go hiking in the woods on your own--they even sent you that clipping about the other girl who disappeared around here. But this is your last summer at college, and you want to make the most of it. And how often are you going to be backpacking across Europe? Anyway, it's *Europe.* It's probably safer than walking around your own neighborhood in L.A.
Supposedly a lot of Grimm's fairy tales came from around here, and you can see the connection. It's like a whole other world--like stepping into a storybook.
(set: $carryingBackpack to true)(set: $backpackInChimney to false)(set: $name to "Gretchen")
[[Next->Lost]]Unfortunately, around the time you stepped *into* that storybook you must have stepped *off* the trail, because somehow you ended up on, well, whatever this is. It must have looked like the trail at some point, but now it's so faint you're not certain you could even retrace your steps.
You shift the straps of your backpack on your shoulders. The further you go, the heavier it feels. Your legs are aching, and you haven't eaten since breakfast, if you don't count that granola bar you scarfed down around noon. You wipe your brow--your short, blonde hair is sticking damply to your forehead, and sweat is running painfully into your eyes, making it hard to see where you're going.
Not that seeing where you're going will be a possibility for very much longer, since you don't have more than an hour or two before sunset. Face it, Gretchen, it's starting to look like you're seriously screwed.
Hope all that fresh, sweet forest air was worth it.
[[Next->Lost 2]]Wait a minute. Sweet air?
Is it just your empty stomach playing tricks on you, or does the air *literally* smell sweet? Like someone's baking fresh bread? And pie? And cake?
Your mouth waters at the though. But even more than the food, you're excited by what it means. *Civilization!* It's close!
Stomach rumbling, you fight your way through the underbrush, zeroing in on the smell...
[[Next->The Candy House]](set: $witchTrustLevel to 0)(set: $gretchenFull to 0)You emerge into a clearing and...
No way.
It can't be.
There can't really be a fancy, two-story house made of gingerbread, frosting, and candy here. It's got to be a fake. It's got to be a set, or an art installation, or something. Maybe you wandered into a theme park or a miniature golf course.
You run your fingers over the fence. It feels exactly like peanut brittle. You snap off a tiny piece. It *is* peanut brittle. You put a palm to the wall and--yes--it's a slab of warm cookie.
[[Look around some more.->Exploring Outside the House]]
[[Take a piece and eat it.->Eating the House]]
[[Knock on the door.->Knocking]]You walk around the side of the house, trying to find any clue as to what this thing is doing here. A closer inspection of the bushes lining the walls reveals they're thick with some very well-fed Venus flytraps and pitcher plants--which are probably the only thing keeping this place from being infested with ants. There's a gummi drainpipe running up the back corner, and further on, a pair of solid gingerbread doors mark the entrance to what looks like a storm cellar.
[[Shimmy up the pipe.->Up the pipe]]
[[Enter the cellar.->Padlock]]
[[Go back and knock.->Knocking]](set: $gretchenFull += 1)You snap off a hunk of gingerbread and bring it to your nose. It smells fine. You lick it. You nibble a piece.
You stuff the hunk in your mouth. *God!* It's delicious! You pull off another hunk before you can stop yourself. This is ridiculous. This has to belong to someone. And yet you're so hungry, and here you are, standing in the middle of the woods shoveling pieces of the wall into your face.
"How's the house taste?"
You jump. The front door opened without you even noticing. The owner saw everything.
You're in [[so much trouble.->Bad Intro With Witch]]You knock several times on the door, which looks like a giant Hershey bar, then step back. If this turns out to be just a weird sculpture, you're going to feel pretty silly. Nervously, you lick chocolate from your knuckles.
The door opens, and there's a woman, smiling at you.
She's *green.*
She's a bright, emerald green.
"Wow, you look like you've marched to hell and back," she says brightly, in English. "Come in and take a load off, why don't you?"
[[Sure.->Enter With Witch]]
[[This is too weird, I'm out of here!->Try to Leave]]It's a good thing you're in perfect physical condition. (Okay, maybe fifteen pounds north of perfect, but all this hiking should help with that, right?) Between the ribbed surface of the worm and the way your fingers sink slightly into the gummi, you have no trouble reaching the roof.
Your hands and knees sink into thick frosting as you climb onto the roof and get to your feet. It sucks at your shoes as you turn three hundred and sixty degrees. You can see nothing but steep hills and dense forest in all directions. No houses, no smoke, not even any power lines. Nervously, you lick your fingers. Mmm.
There are a couple of chimneys here. The smaller one is only about a foot in diameter, but the bigger one is large enough to fit a person.
[[Maybe I can climb down the chimney?->Climbing the chimney]]
[[Let's go down and take a closer look at the cellar.->Padlock]]
[[This is crazy! I'm going down and knocking.->Knocking]]The storm cellar is securely locked with a large padlock...which appears to be made of hard candy. It doesn't budge when you pull on it. You can think of one way to get in...but do you really want to do it?
[[I have to see what's down there!->Licking the Lock]]
[[I'm just going to go knock on the door, like a normal person.->Knocking]]You feel ridiculous doing it, but you get into the cellar the only way you can think of...by lying down on the doors, putting the candy padlock in your mouth, and sucking on it.
The flavor is sour apple, *very* sour apple, and your mouth puckers around the odd shape. But you work at it, running your tongue over the bars of the lock and feeling them grow thinner and thinner until eventually the whole thing comes off in your mouth. You spit it out and deposit the now-misshapen green lump discreetly in the bushes.
Mouth slightly numb, you heft the door open and descend the stairs [[into the cellar.->Entering the Cellar]]You descend the creaking wooden stairs. It's pitch dark down here. You remove the flashlight from your backpack and give it a couple of shakes before flicking it on. The beam plays over the damp, uneven walls.
"Hey!"
You almost jump out of your skin. The flashlight drops from your fingers and skitters across the floor. Your head whips around, and you see a figure at the cellar door, silhouetteed against the daylight.
"Having fun down there?"
[[A few minutes later...->Bad Intro With Witch]](set: $backpackInChimney to true)(set: $carryingBackpack to false)You should fit, as long as you take your backpack and drop it down on its own. You shrug it off your shoulders and lower it into the dark hole.
You take a deep breath, and commit. The strap slips loose from your fingers, and you watch your maps, your passport, all your money, everything, drop into the darkness. After longer than you'd like, you hear it hit somewhere below. Well, now you *have* to follow it.
You wriggle into the chimney and carefully scoot down, using the rough sides to keep yourself from falling. It's a tighter fit than it looked. Your butt keeps scraping against the sides. How is your butt *bigger* than that overstuffed backpack? You seriously need more exercise.
Another two feet and...
Uh-oh.
Either your butt is getting bigger, or the chimney is getting narrower. Whichever one it is...you're stuck.
You try to climb back up. Nope. Your rear end is jammed in the narrow shaft like a cork in a bottle.
Shit shit shit shit *shit.*
You're just beginning to really panic when you hear an amused voice above you. "Enjoying yourself down there?"
[[Some time later...->Bad Intro With Witch]]You halfway expected the inside of the house to be nothing but plywood and fiberglass, the falseness behind the candy shell revealed, but the interior is as candy-coated as the outside. It looks...real. And you're standing in that candy-coated entry hall, burning up with embarrassment.
The woman that dragged you in here regards you thoughtfully. You regard her right back, goggling.
She's *green.*
She's a bright, emerald green.
And her makeup looks as real as the house does. Like it's not even really makeup. Like that's really the color of her skin.
"Now, what should I do with you?" she muses. "I could call the police. Not a good look, an ugly American hellraiser trespassing on some poor lady's property, scaring her to half to death."
She must be German, then, but she doesn't have much of an accent. You wonder how she knew you were American just by looking. She doesn't seem scared, either. She doesn't even seem particularly angry, despite the threat. She's more entertained than anything.
"Well, let's put a pin in that," she says, after a moment's thought. "You look hungry. Why don't we have dinner and *then* I'll decide what to do with you? My name's Sabine, by the way. Come on."
She leads you into a dining hall, where a long gingerbread table stands, covered in a shimmering blanket of sweet delicacies. She sits you down in the middle, where the dishes are piled the highest.
[["Go on, eat."->Dinner Spread]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)(set: $carryingBackpack to false)You halfway expected the inside of the house to be nothing but plywood and fiberglass, the falseness behind the candy shell revealed, but the interior is as candy-coated as the outside. It looks...real.
The woman's makeup looks real, too. Like it's not really makeup. Like that's really the color of her skin. You glance down at your hand, at the spot she touched you. Not a single smudge of green.
"My name is Sabine," she says. "I don't get many visitors all the way out here!"
So she's German, based on the name, but she only has the barest hint of an accent. You wonder, briefly, how she knew to use English before you said anything to her, but honestly, that's the *least* strange thing on your mind right now.
"Come this way," she says eagerly. "Here, I'll take that heavy backpack for you. There we go. You've got to be absolutely ravenous after that walk. Let's get some food into you, huh?"
She leads you into a dining hall, where a long gingerbread table stands, covered in a shimmering blanket of sweet delicacies. She sits you down in the middle, where the dishes are piled the highest.
[["Dig in!"->Dinner Spread]]Before you lie mouthwateringly sweet goodies of every description. A tall stack of chocolate chip waffles. A heaping dish of ice cream. A warm, crispy apple pie. A thick slab of gooey chocolate cake. A platter piled high with donuts. (if: $witchTrustLevel > 0)[All this is for *you?* It all looks so delicious, you're not sure where to start.](else:)[It's way too much for one person, but you'd better try to humor her, or for all you know she *will* call the police.]
(set: $dinnerWaffles to true)(set: $dinnerIceCream to true)(set: $dinnerPie to true)(set: $dinnerCake to true)(set: $dinnerDonuts to true)
[[Start with the waffles->Waffles Dinner 1]]
[[Start with the ice cream->Ice Cream Dinner 1]]
[[Start with the pie->Pie Dinner 1]]
[[Start with the cake->Cake Dinner 1]]
[[Start with the donuts->Donuts Dinner 1]](set: $dinnerWaffles to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *crunch* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 1]](stop:)](set: $dinnerIceCream to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *slurp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *mmmfph* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*slurrrrrrrp* ->Witch Asks About You 1]](stop:)](set: $dinnerPie to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *crunch* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 1]](stop:)](set: $dinnerCake to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 1]](stop:)](set: $dinnerDonuts to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 1]](stop:)]"Well, well," Sabine says, lifting one coal-black eyebrow as you devour your food. "I *thought* you looked hungry."
She looks to be in her thirties, with a long face framed by a limp black oil slick of hair, and she's wearing a loose sweater over high-waisted stretch pants. She's curvaceous, an hourglass figure that's overflowed into slight plumpness. If not for the green skin, she'd look perfectly ordinary.
But that skin, and a candy house? It's pretty suspicious.
She crosses her legs and leans forward, watching you with interest.
"So what's your name, Goldilocks?"
[["Gretchen."->"Gretchen."]]
[["Uhh...it's..."->Made-up name]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"Yes. Thank you. It's just that I don't know where I am, and--"
"You managed to get yourself *completely* lost," the woman says. "I understand completely." She takes your grubby hand in her slim, well-manicured fingers and pats it indulgently. "You just follow me and [[I'll take care of everything."->Good intro with witch]]"Er-no-I think I'd better just try to get back to the path--"
"Don't be stupid," she says cheerfully. "There's nothing else around here for miles. Come in before you drop dead of exposure."
Her fingers wrap firmly around your arm and [[pull you inside.->Good intro with witch]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"Greffen," you answer.
"What?"
You swallow. "Gretchen."
"Huh. Where have I heard that name before?" Traudl muses out loud. "Well, nice to meet you, Gretchen. Up for seconds?"
[[You nod.->Second Course]]"It's, um...hmmm," you mumble, trying to stall. "Greta...Garfunkel?"
(if: $backpackInChimney is true)[(set: $name to "Greta")Sabine looks at you skeptically. "You don't sound too sure about that. Oh well. [[Up for seconds, *Greta?"*->Second Course]]](else:)[Sabine unzips your backpack and fishes out your driver's license. "Funny, *this* says your name is Gretchen Greene. You must be delirious from hunger. [[Seconds?"->Second Course]]]The edge is off your appetite now, but you are still *extremely* up for seconds. You wonder if *everything* here is as tongue-meltingly delicious as that amazing first course.
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Try the waffles.->Waffles Dinner 2]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Try the ice cream.->Ice Cream Dinner 2]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Try the pie.->Pie Dinner 2]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Try the cake.->Cake Dinner 2]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Try the donuts.->Donuts Dinner 2]]](set: $dinnerWaffles to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *crunch* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 2]](stop:)](set: $dinnerIceCream to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *mmmph* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *slurp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*sluuurrrp* ->Witch Asks About You 2]](stop:)](set: $dinnerPie to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 2]](stop:)](set: $dinnerCake to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 2]](stop:)](set: $dinnerDonuts to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *gulp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 2]](stop:)]"So," Sabine says as you tear through your second helping.(if: $backpackInChimney is true)["...what brings you all the way out here to my neck of the woods? You don't just end up here by accident."
[["I was hiking."->Hiking on my own]]
[["I was, uh, in a tour group."->I'm with a tour group]]](if: $backpackInChimney is false)["...it looks like you've come all the way from California!" She's reading off your confiscated drivers' license. "Quite a trip. You must be starving.[[ Keep eating."->Third Course]]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"I've been backpacking around Europe and I wanted to see the Black Forest. I guess I got lost."
"Wow, all on your own, huh?"
"Yes." You feel your ears turning slightly pink. "I know, I know, it's dangerous. I could get lost. I *did* get lost."
"Oh, you'll be fine," Traudl says, waving dismissively. "You're a big girl. Here, [[try something else."->Third Course]]]"I came here with a whole group of people. We're touring the Black Forest, and I got separated. I'm sure they're looking for me."
"Then *I'm* sure they'll find you," Traudl says, sounding uttery unconcerned. "Best you just stay put and [[build up your strength.->Third Course]]Oof. It still looks fantastic, but you're running out of places to put it all.
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Tackle the waffles.->Waffles Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Tackle the ice cream.->Ice Cream Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Tackle the pie.->Pie Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Tackle the cake.->Cake Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Tackle the donuts.->Donuts Dinner 3]]]
[["I think I've had enough."->Turn Down Third Course.]](set: $dinnerWaffles to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *crunch* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *smack* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 3]](stop:)](set: $dinnerIceCream to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *slurp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *slorrrp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *lick* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 3]](stop:)](set: $dinnerPie to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *smack* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 3]](stop:)](set: $dinnerCake to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *smack* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 3]](stop:)](set: $dinnerDonuts to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *munch* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *swallow* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[[[*gulp* ->Witch Asks About You 3]](stop:)]
"Oh, what's the matter? Worried about your *girlish figure?"* Traudl smirks. "Come on, *live* a little!"
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Tackle the waffles.->Waffles Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Tackle the ice cream.->Ice Cream Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Tackle the pie.->Pie Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Tackle the cake.->Cake Dinner 3]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Tackle the donuts.->Donuts Dinner 3]]]
[["No, thank you. I'm full."->Dinner Refusal]]"I spent all day making this lovely dinner for you, and you're not even going to eat it?" Sabine says, making a moue of disappointment.
*All day? But an hour ago, we hadn't even met...*
"Whatever am I going to do with the rest?" she asks, putting a finger to her chin. "I could eat it myself, but my God, if I did *that* I'd just *balloon*. I can't even *look* at dessert without gaining five pounds."
"Well, maybe this isn't the best house for you, then."
She laughs. "Maybe not! You seem like a straight shooter, $name. Tell me, what do you think of the old chassis? I think I could stand to lose a few. What do you think?"
She stands up and does a slow turn, giving you a good look at her voluptuous-plus-a-little figure.
[[Tell her she's too fat.->Sabine's Too Fat]]
[[Tell her she looks perfect.->Sabine's Just Right]]
[[Tell her she's too thin.->Sabine's Too Thin]]You lick your lips and sit back in your chair, your stomach feeling heavy and full.
Sabine looks you up and down. "You're a *healthy*-looking thing. Muscular.(if: $backpackInChimney is true)[ How much weight are you packing, anyway?"
[[Er, about a hundred forty...ish?->140]]
[[One-twenty-five.->125]]](if: $backpackInChimney is false)[ She glances at the driver's license she fished out of your backpack and sniffs. "And to think, *this* says you're a mere waif of one hundred and twenty-five pounds! It's not nice to lie to the government, you know. Or maybe this just needs to be *updated*." She smiles knowingly and glances at the [[food in front of you.->Fourth Course]]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"Give or take a little *ish*, that's pretty much what I thought," Traudl says, nodding approvingly. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Room for improvement, of course. [[Have some more.->Fourth Course]]Her eyes flick to your midsection, and she smirks. "*Sure* you are. Well, Miss One Twenty Five, since you're sitting pretty at your ideal weight and all, it won't hurt to [[have a little more."->Fourth Course]]Your mouth says *yes* but your stomach aches from all the sweet stuff you've already gobbled down. You've eaten too much, too quickly. And you're not really wild about the way Traudl is sizing you up like a side of beef.
"I mean...I'm not sure what my weight has to do with anything."
"Oh, no *judgement!"* Sabine says quickly. "After all, I'm a curvy gal myself." She wriggles playfully. "Now, about that next course..."
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Force down the waffles.->Waffles Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Force down the ice cream.->Ice Cream Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Force down the pie.->Pie Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Force down the cake.->Cake Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Force down the donuts.->Donuts Dinner 4]]]
[[Give up.->Turn Down Fourth Course]](set: $dinnerWaffles to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *gulp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 5s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 4]](stop:)]
(set: $dinnerIceCream to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *slurp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *glug* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *sllluurrrrrrrppp* (stop:)]
(live: 5s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 4]](stop:)](set: $dinnerPie to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *crunch* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *chomp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 5s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 4]](stop:)]
(set: $dinnerCake to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *munch* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *munch* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *murrff* (stop:)]
(live: 5s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 4]](stop:)]
(set: $dinnerDonuts to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 1s)[ *gulp* (stop:)]
(live: 2s)[ *glurp* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[ *chew* (stop:)]
(live: 5s)[[[*swallow* ->Witch Asks About You 4]](stop:)]"I really don't think I can eat any more."
"But there's still so much left! Is this because I brought up your weight? You're fine, honey, really. Perfectly svelte. So please...feel free to *stuff* that svelte little face of yours."
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Force down the waffles.->Waffles Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Force down the ice cream.->Ice Cream Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Force down the pie.->Pie Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Force down the cake.->Cake Dinner 4]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Force down the donuts.->Donuts Dinner 4]]]
[["No, I'm done."->Dinner Refusal]]You push the empty flatware away and shift uncomfortably on the hard peanut-brittle chair, your overfull stomach straining against the button of your hiking shorts.
"Feel free to let it all hang out," Sabine says, making you start. "I know how it is after a big meal."
Eep. Can she tell how tight your waistband is just by *looking* at it? Well, if you look as bloated as you feel, maybe that's not much of a trick. A little sheepishly, you undo the button. *Phew.*
"That's better," you hostess says. "You'd never be able to finish dinner with *that* holding you back."
And she pushes the last dish [[toward you.->Final Course]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"Well...you kept offering," you explain. "I just didn't want to be impolite."
"Ah! So you do what you're told, huh? Even if your own body is telling you otherwise. I like a girl who follows orders. Come with me. I've got a little after-dinner job for you."
She motions for you to [[stand up.->After-Dinner Job]]"It was all so good," you admit. "I couldn't stop until I tried it all."
"Fear of missing out, huh?" Sabine observes. "You'd eat yourself sick rather than let a single experience pass you by? You know, you remind me of someone...Come on. I've got a little after-dinner job for you."
She motions for you to [[stand up.->After-Dinner Job]]You are very, very full. And you're starting to feel sick.
But Sabine is right. You're *almost* done.
(if: $dinnerWaffles is true)[[[Finish off the waffles.->Finished dinner 1]]]
(if: $dinnerIceCream is true)[[[Finish off the ice cream.->Finished dinner 1]]]
(if: $dinnerPie is true)[[[Finish off the pie.->Finished dinner 1]]]
(if: $dinnerCake is true)[[[Finish off the cake.->Finished dinner 1]]]
(if: $dinnerDonuts is true)[[[Finish off the donuts.->Finished dinner 1]]]
[[Give up.->Dinner Refusal]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"Wow" Sabine says, her purple eyes shining like amethysts. "Didn't think you'd really make it all the way through. I am *impressed.*"
You manage to smile weakly at her, even though you feel like a one-hundred-and-fifty-pound slug.
"Seriously, that was dessert for about twenty, and you took it like a champ. What got into you?" Her eyes glitter again, with curiosity this time. "I mean, I *know* what got *into* you. But why'd you keep going?"
[[I didn't want to miss out on anything.->Greed]]
[[I was just trying to be a good guest.->Politeness]](if: $gretchenFull < 7)[You wobble to your feet, stifling a belch.](else:)[You attempt to stand, but you're so full you can't even lift yourself out of the chair. Sabine smirks, puts her hands under your armpits, and heaves you to your feet.]
"What...what kind of job?" you ask.
Sabine laughs. "Don't worry, there's not a lot of physical activity required."
"Go*OORRRPP*od."
"Just follow me to the basement," she says, taking a ring of keys from a hook near the heavy door and unlocking it. Cool air wafts from below.
You follow her, carefully, the narrow, uneven basement stairs too precarious to allow the comfortably waddle you'd *like* to fall into. Below ground level, the walls are made of damp stone, not candy. The area beneath the house seems more like a catacomb.
"Here," Sabine says, stopping in front of a rectangle of light set into one wall. [["Take a look."->In The Mirror]]Through the pane of glass, you see a room. It's the opposite of the dank basement you're standing in. This room looks like it was custom-made for the world's richest five-year old: it's bright, colorful, with plush furniture, a four-poster bed, stuffed animals, and an enormous television.
In the center of the room is a long table, a lot like the one upstairs. Just how many giant tables does this woman *have?* Seated at it is a young woman. She's clearly an adult, probably around your age, but she's dressed in a bright yellow party dress that wouldn't be out of place at a little kid's birthday. She has dark skin and voluminous piles of chocolate-brown hair.
If you're guessing at her height correctly, she's probably shorter than you by four or five inches--you're a rangy five-nine--but her plump figure easily has twenty or thirty pounds on yours. Possibly the mountain of mashed potatoes she's gobbling down have something to do with that. More dishes are scattered in front of her. If she's emptied them all herself, she's eaten even more than you have today. She doesn't look happy about it. She just looks resigned.
"Her name," whispers Sabine into your ear, "is Hanima."
THE END, FOR NOW"I think you're right."
She stops turning and shoots you a look. "Excuse me?"
"That you could stand to lose a few pounds."
"I see," she says coldly. "Thanks for your brutal honesty."
"No, I mean...it's not that you're *that* big or anything, it's just...maybe if you didn't eat so many sweets, you'd be healthier?"
"Well, *maybe* I'm not the only one here who has trouble realizing when it would be healthier to keep her mouth shut." Sabine snaps. "I think you could stand to gain a little empathy."
She smiles.
"And maybe the best way for you to gain a little empathy is if you gained a little weight, too, don't you think? Maybe then you'd understand what it's like to be...moderately curvy, like me." Her smile widens.
"I've got [[just the trick."->Mouth Swap]](set: $witchTrustLevel += 1)"I think you're perfect the way you are."
She smiles, a wide, genuine, surprised smile. "Oh, what a kiss-up!"
"I'm being serious. You're very pretty."
"Oh, stop." She's actually blushing. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't a real compliment.
(if: $witchTrustLevel > 3)["You know what," she says. "Forget dinner. I want to show you something." She takes a ring of keys from a hook near the heavy basement door and unlocks it. Cool air wafts from below.
You follow her, careful on the narrow, uneven basement stairs. Below ground level, the walls are made of damp stone, not candy. The area beneath the house seems more like a catacomb.
"Here," Sabine says, stopping in front of a rectangle of light set into one wall. [["Take a look."->In The Mirror]]](else:)[She pauses for a moment, then shakes her head and waggles a finger at you. "Nice try, but flattery will get you nowhere, sweetie. This fattening stuff has got to go. Luckily, I know [[just the trick."->Mouth Swap]]]
"If anything, you're too thin," you say.
She folds her arms. "Oh, really?"
"Er..."
"You wouldn't be trying to *suck up* to me, now would you?" She cocks her head and pats her middle, where her stretchy pants cling to the soft roll of her belly. "This really looks to you like *too thin?*"
"Um." Well, now you're stuck. "Yes?"
"Maybe you're right," she says thoughtfully. "I am too thin. And, holy shit, if *I'm* too thin, *you're* emaciated! You're *dying!*"
"Oh...no, I..."
"Not another word, you poor starving creature," Sabrine says in a voice of mock concern, pinching your cheek. "We've got to get some meat on those bones, *stat!* And I know [[just the trick!"->Mouth Swap]](set: $gretchenFull += 2)"Trffph?" you say, as Sabine puts a palm over your mouth. Her pale fingers are soft and delicate. She puts her other hand over her own mouth, then squeezes her eyes shut for a moment and pulls both hands away.
Her mouth is...different. Her full lips are thinner, the sheen of plum repaced with cracks and a lack of makeup. Did she wipe her lipstick off somehow?
"Wait, what did you just--" she begins, and stops. You feel your own lips curling up helplessly in a smile.
"Just a little trade," you chuckle, except it isn't really you saying it. "I want to borrow your mouth. I promise I'll give it back when I'm finished."
She hooks the nearest dish to you with one finger and scoots it across the table. She opens her mouth--*your* mouth--wide. You try to shut it again, but although you can talk, you can't quite manage to hold it closed.
"Wait--" you begin, as she stuffs the first bite into your mouth. You sputter. You can't taste the food, but when she swallows, you feel it sliding down your throat into your stomach.
"Mmmm-*mmm!*" her voice says, from your face, as the woman across from you shimmies in pleasure. She takes another bite, another, another. Your belly stretches painfully to accomodate the avalanche of food. "It *all* looks so good."
There's still a grotesque amount left on the table. *Much* more than you could possibly hold. You've got to stop her!
[[Grab her.->Mouth Swap Attack]]
[[Start eating, yourself.->Mouth Swap Eat]]
(set: $dinnerDonuts to false)(set: $gretchenFull += 1)
(live: 2s)[ *glumph* (stop:)]
(live: 4s)[ *glorrp* (stop:)]
(live: 6s)[ *horff* (stop:)]
(live: 8s)[ *mmmph* (stop:)]
(live: 11s)[[[*uuuurrpfh* ->Finished dinner 2]](stop:)]You lunge for Sabine. You're at least ten years younger and in much better shape. You can stop her by force. The extra food weighs you down, though, makes you slow and sluggish, and she's out of her seat before you can grab her.
"Uh-uh-uh," she chides, grabbing a canister from one of the cupboards. "I wouldn't do that if I was you."
You recognize the label on the canister, and your blood goes cold.
"Funny thing about living in a house made of candy," she says lightly. "I have a terrible rodent problem. Wouldn't it be just *awful* if the rude girl attacking me confused me so much that I swallowed this rat poison by mistake?"
She hold the can up to her--*your*--mouth, and darts your tongue out, as if to lick the white powder from the rim. You quickly back away, your hands raised.
"That's better," Sabine says. "Now be a good girl and sit there while I eat [[whatever I want."->Mouth Swap Sabine Eats Everything]]If Sabine can eat with your mouth, you can eat with hers. And if you don't divert some of this stuff into her stomach, you'll probably burst.
You grab a shimmering gelatin hillock and start shoveling it into Sabine's mouth. She looks up from her own food in surprise at the sensation of gelatin slithering down her throat. Then you feel your lips pulling back from your teeth in another smile.
"So, it's a race you're looking for?" she says. "You're on."
She picks up the pace. You match her. She picks up the face again. And then you're both eating like animals, cramming food into your mouths as fast as you can.
The fuller you get, the harder it is to keep eating, even when you know it's not going into your stomach, even when each bite you eat is one more bite she can't force into you. You get slower. And slower.
And [[stop.->Mouth Swap Draw]](set: $gretchenFull += 1)You sit. What choice do you have?
Sabine merrily stuffs herself--or rather, stuffs *you*--with everything she can reach. Lady fingers. Sugar puffs. Chocolate eggs. She watches you, eyes laughing, as she downs it all.
Finally, when you're so full you can barely breathe, an air pocket shifts deep in your belly and gurgles up your esophagus. Sabine, halfway through a basket of candied fruit, opens your mouth and releases a window-rattling belch.
"Whew," she says. "Ugh. That doesn't taste great."
"I think I'm gonna to puke," you groan.
She pauses with a chunk of crystallized pineapple halfway to your mouth. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"Ew!" She stands up, already putting a hand over her mouth as she heads over. "If you're going to *that*, you can do it with yourself." She switches back quickly, smacking her own plum colored lips experimentally as soon as she has them back on her face.
"Well, not that we've both had dinner, I've got a little job for you," Sabine says. [["Stand up."->After-Dinner Job]]There's nothing but wreckage left around you. Between the two of you, you ate the table bare.
Sabine sits back, a hand on her distended stomach. If anything, she's even more bloat than your are, and yet it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all. You can still feel her smiling.
"Whew!" her mouth says. "That was *fun!* It's not going to do my figure any favors, but between you and me, it was *totally* worth it."
She belches, and your nose wrinkles.
"Oof, sorry about that. Here, let me swap back."
She mashes her sugar-sticky palm to your face, and when she pulls it away, you've got your own mouth again.
"Now, I'm feeling pretty good, kid. Let's do something else fun. You're going to do a little job for me. [[On your feet."->After-Dinner Job]]